RNC Chief Apologizes to Grass-Roots

Breitbart News has exclusively obtained an email, sent by RNC Chief of Staff Mike Shields on Monday. The email, to the leadership of the RNC, apologizes for any misunderstanding about remarks Shields made last week to a meeting of the Ripon Society. As Breitbart’s Michael Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) reported, at least one meeting attendee interpreted Shields’ swipe at the “professional right” as an attack on the conservative grass roots. Shields email on Monday clarifies that his intended target was the DC consultant class.

I apologize to any activists who saw this misrepresentation and were lead to believe that the RNC has anything but respect for the vital contributions they make to the conservative movement. Simply put, I believe that too much of our political system in Washington has been taken over by paid consultants and something needs to be done to stop it or at least slow it down.

The fact of the matter is the Republican party should embrace its grassroots more, not less. It should be less consultant driven and more people power driven. That is the direction that Chairman Reince Priebus wants to lead the RNC in. The main thrust of the growth and opportunity project is to hire and embrace grassroots activists and become a full time on the ground political organization as opposed to a six month operation that parachutes into states with limited connection to communities across America.

Since the November 2012 elections, Breitbart News has shone a light on the out-sized, self-interested and often counterproductive role DC-based consultants play in our nation’s political campaigns.